[10/13/09 - 10:35 AM]NBC Ties for #2 in Adults 18-49 for the Primetime Week of OcT. 5-11NBC spins the numbers for the week of October 5-11.

[via press release from NBC]

NBC TIES FOR #2 IN ADULTS 18-49 FOR THE PRIMETIME WEEK OF OCT. 5-11

'NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL' IS THE #1 PROGRAM OF THE WEEK IN ADULTS 18-49 AND 'THE OFFICE' RANKS #4

NBC SPORTS' COLTS-TITANS GAME LEADS THE NETWORK TO A SUNDAY PRIMETIME WIN IN 18-49, TOTAL VIEWERS AND OTHER KEY MEASURES

ON THURSDAY, A ONE-HOUR EPISODE OF 'THE OFFICE' SCORES THAT SHOW'S HIGHEST 18-49 RATING AND BIGGEST VIEWERSHIP IN ALMOST A YEAR, WINNING ITS TOUGH SLOT IN ADULTS 18-34 AND ALL KEY ADULT-MALE DEMOS

ON TUESDAY, 'THE BIGGEST LOSER' GAINS 19 PERCENT IN 18-49 AND 20 PERCENT IN TOTAL VIEWERS VERSUS THE SAME NIGHT LAST YEAR, AND WINS THE 9 P.M. HOUR IN 18-49 AND OTHER KEY MEASURES

ON WEDNESDAY, 'SVU' LOCKS UP ITS TOP 18-49 RATING SO FAR THIS SEASON IN ITS NEW SLOT, WHILE 'MERCY' WINS ITS HOUR IN TOTAL VIEWERS

ON FRIDAY 'LAW & ORDER' IS UP 25 PERCENT WEEK-TO-WEEK IN ADULTS 18-49, WHILE CAPTURING NBC'S TOP 18-49 RATING AND OVERALL AUDIENCE IN THE SLOT SINCE JANUARY

FOR THE WEEK, NBC ALSO TIES FOR #2 AMONG THE MAJOR NETWORKS IN ADULTS 25-54, IS #2 OUTRIGHT IN MEN 18-34, MEN 18-49 AND MEN 25-54

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - October 13, 2009 - Paced by strong ratings from "NBC Sunday Night Football," "The Office" and "The Biggest Loser," NBC tied for #2 in primetime's key demographic of adults 18-49, averaging a 2.6 rating, 7 share in 18-49 and 7.5 million viewers overall for the week of October 5-11, according to in-home viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research. NBC also tied for #2 among the major networks in adults 25-54 and ranked #2 outright in all key adult-male demographics - men 18-34, men 18-49 and men 25-54.

Also ranking among the top shows of the week in adults 18-49 was Thursday's one-hour episode of "The Office," which placed #4 among all primetime programs, and Tuesday's "The Biggest Loser," which finished #12 (tied). "The Office" ranked #1 (tied) among all primetime programs in adults 18-34 (rankings exclude all football pre- and post-game telecasts).

* NBC Sports' "Sunday Night Football" telecast of the Indianapolis Colts at the Tennessee Titans propelled NBC to a primetime win Sunday night in adults 18-49, adults 18-34, adults 25-54, total viewers and other key measures. NBC's margin of victory over the #2 network was 42 percent in adults 18-49.

* Sunday's Colts-Titans game was up 19 percent in 18-49 rating and 23 percent or more than 2.9 million persons in total viewers versus the "Sunday Night Football" game that aired on the same night last year

* On Friday, "Law & Order" was up 25 percent week-to-week in adults 18-49, capturing NBC's highest non-sports 18-49 rating in the time period since January 30 and biggest overall audience in the slot since January 9.

* Also on Friday, "The Jay Leno Show" ranked #1 or tied for #1 among the major networks in the hour in adults 18-34, men 18-34 and men 18-49, while finishing within 0.2 of a rating point of the lead in adults 18-49.

* On Thursday, a special one-hour episode of "The Office," featuring the wedding of Jim and Pam, was the #2 show on television that night in adults 18-49, behind only "Grey's Anatomy." With a 4.8 rating in adults 18-49 and 9.4 million viewers, this marked the highest 18-49 and total-viewer results for "The Office" since October 30, 2008.

* "The Office" ranked #1 in its highly competitive Thursday time period in adults 18-34 and all key adult-male demographics against tough competition that included ABC's "Grey's Anatomy," CBS's "CSI" and Fox's "Fringe." In adults 18-49, "The Office" ranked #2, 0.6 of a point behind "Grey's Anatomy" and 1.3 points ahead of "CSI."

* Also on Thursday, "Community" in its new 8 p.m. time period increased 12 percent in 18-49 rating versus NBC's average so far this season in the slot, while "Parks and Recreation" increased 5 percent in 18-49 and 10 percent in 18-34 week-to-week, scoring its highest 18-49 rating since its September 17 season premiere.

* Additionally on Thursday, "The Jay Leno Show" was up 13 percent in 18-49 rating versus the prior Thursday.

* On Wednesday, "Law & Order: SVU" locked up its highest 18-49 rating so far this season in a new time period and on a new night for the series. "SVU" was up 53 percent in adults 18-49 and 42 percent in total viewers versus NBC's average in the slot last year during the traditional September-May season.

* Also on Wednesday, "Mercy" ranked #1 among the major networks in the time period in total viewers.

* On Tuesday, "The Biggest Loser" gained 19 percent in adults 18-49 and 27 percent in total viewers versus the same night last year.

* For its final hour Tuesday from 9-10 p.m., "The Biggest Loser" ranked #1 among the major networks in adults 18-49, adults 18-34 and all key adult-female demographics in this highly competitive hour, topping CBS's "NCIS: Los Angeles," ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" and Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance." From its first half-hour to its fourth, "Loser" grew by 31 percent in 18-49 rating and by 20 percent in total viewers.

* Also on Tuesday, "The Jay Leno Show" ranked #1 among the major networks in its hour in adults and men 18-34 and men 18-49 (tied) and ranked #2 among the major networks in adults 18-49, women 18-34 and men 25-54.

Ratings reflect "live plus same day" data unless otherwise noted. Season-to-date figures are averages of "live plus seven day" data except for the two most recent weeks, which are "live plus same day."

Additional NBC highlights for the week of October 5-11:

On Monday, October 5, from 8-9 p.m. ET, "Heroes" averaged a 2.4 rating, 6 share in adults 18-49 and 5.5 million viewers overall in a highly competitive time period that included Fox's "House," ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" and CBS's comedies. In this tough slot, "Heroes" ranked #2 among the major networks in adults and men 18-34.

"Heroes" is one of the most time-shifted programs on network television. In the season's first week, "Heroes" added 32 percent to its 18-49 rating when going from its "live plus same day" to its "live plus seven day" results.

Monday from 9-10:01 p.m. ET, "Trauma" averaged a 1.7/4 share in adults 18-49 and 5.4 million viewers overall in a highly competitive time period that included CBS's "Two and a Half Men" and "Big Bang Theory," ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" and Fox's "Lie to Me." In adults 25-54, "Trauma" retained 88 percent of its lead-in (2.1 vs. 2.4) and in total viewers, "Trauma" held onto 98 percent of its lead-in from the previous hour.

On Tuesday, October 6 from 8-10:01 p.m. ET, "The Biggest Loser" (3.7/10 in adults 18-49, 9.2 million viewers overall) was up 19 percent in adults 18-49 and 27 percent in total viewers versus the same night last year (a 3.1/8 and 7.3 million viewers from 8-9 p.m. on October 7, 2008).

"The Biggest Loser" ranked #2 in its two-hour time period in adults 18-49 and total viewers and #1 in women 18-49 and 18-34.

From its first half-hour to its fourth, "Loser" increased by 31 percent in 18-49 rating (to a 4.2/11 from a 3.2/9) and by 20 percent in total viewers (to 10.1 million from 8.4 million).

For its final hour from 9-10 p.m., "The Biggest Loser" ranked #1 among the major networks in adults 18-49, adults 18-34 and all key adult-female demographics in this highly competitive hour, topping CBS's "NCIS: Los Angeles," ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" and Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance."

Tuesday from 10:01-11 p.m. ET, "The Jay Leno Show" averaged a 2.1/6 in adults 18-49, a 2.4/7 in adults 25-54 and 6.2 million viewers overall, versus time-period competition that included CBS's "The Good Wife" and ABC's "The Forgotten." "The Jay Leno Show" ranked #1 among the major networks in the hour in adults and men 18-34 and men 18-49 (tied) and ranked #2 among the major networks in adults 18-49, women 18-34 and men 25-54, topping "The Forgotten" in those demographic measures.

On Wednesday, October 7 from 8-9 p.m. ET, "Mercy" (1.8/5 in 18-49, 7.4 million viewers overall) ranked #1 in the time period among the major networks in total viewers. Versus NBC's average in this time slot during the regular 2008-09 season, "Mercy" was up 13 percent in 18-49 rating (1.8 vs. 1.6) and 30 percent or more than 1.6 million persons in total viewers (7.4 million vs. 5.7 million).

Wednesday from 9-10:01 p.m. ET, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (2.6/7 in adults 18-49, 8.3 million viewers overall) locked up its highest 18-49 rating so far this season in its new time period. Versus NBC's average in this slot during the regular 2008-09 season, "SVU" was up 53 percent in 18-49 rating (2.6 vs. 1.7) and 42 percent or more than 2.4 million persons in total viewers (8.3 million vs. 5.9 million). It is worth noting that in the season's first week, "Law & Order: SVU" added 24 percent to its 18-49 rating when going from its "live plus same day" to its "live plus seven day" results.

"SVU" scored NBC's highest 18-49 rating in this time period during the traditional primetime season since October 8, 2008. From its first half-hour to its second, "SVU" grew by 13 percent in adults 18-49 (to a 2.8 from a 2.5) and by 10 percent in total viewers (to 8.7 million from 7.9 million).

Wednesday from 10:01-11 p.m. ET, "The Jay Leno Show" averaged a 1.7/5 in adults 18-49, a 2.0/6 in adults 25-54 and 5.7 million viewers overall. Wednesday's time-period competition included CBS's "CSI: NY" and ABC's "Eastwick." "The Jay Leno Show" ranked #2 among the major networks in the hour in total viewers and all key adult-male demographics - men 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54 - topping "Eastwick" in those measures. "The Jay Leno Show" also tied for #2 among the major networks in adults 18-34 and adults 25-54.

On Thursday, October 8 from 8-8:30 p.m. ET, "Community" averaged a 1.9/5 in adults 18-49 and 4.9 million viewers overall, up 12 percent in 18-49 versus NBC's average so far this season in this time period (1.9 vs. 1.7). It is worth noting that in the season's first week, "Community" added 26 percent to its 18-49 rating when going from its "live plus same day" to its "live plus seven day" results.

Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET, "Parks and Recreation" (2.1/6 in 18-49, 4.7 million viewers overall) matched its season-high rating in adults 18-49, set previously by its September 17 season premiere. Week-to-week, "Parks" increased 5 percent in adults 18-49 (2.1 vs. 2.0) and 10 percent in adults 18-34 (2.2 vs. 2.0). In the season's first week, "Parks and Recreation" added 23 percent to its 18-49 rating when going from its "live plus same day" to its "live plus seven day" results.

"Parks" built on its lead-in by 11 percent in adults 18-49, marking the fourth consecutive week that "Parks" has increased versus its lead-in rating.

Thursday from 9-10:01 p.m. ET, "The Office" (4.8/12 in 18-49, 9.4 million viewers overall) ranked #1 in its highly competitive time period in adults 18-34 and all key adult-male demographics - men 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54 - against ABC's "Grey's Anatomy," CBS's "CSI" and Fox's "Fringe." In adults 18-49, "The Office" ranked #2, 0.6 of a point behind "Grey's Anatomy" and 1.3 points ahead of "CSI." It is worth noting that in the season's first week, "The Office" added 25 percent to its 18-49 rating when going from its "live plus same day" to its "live plus seven day" results.

These are the highest 18-49 and total-viewer results for "The Office" in nearly a year (since October 30, 2008).

"The Office" was the #2 show on television Thursday night in adults 18-49, behind only "Grey's Anatomy."

Thursday from 10:01-11 p.m. ET, "The Jay Leno Show" averaged a 1.7/5 in adults 18-49, a 1.9/5 in adults 25-54 and 4.8 million viewers overall. Thursday's time-period competition included CBS's "The Mentalist" and ABC's "Private Practice." Versus the prior Thursday, "The Jay Leno Show" was up 13 percent in 18-49 rating (1.7 vs. 1.5). "The Jay Leno Show" ranked #2 among the major networks in the hour in men 18-34 and tied for #2 in men 18-49 and 25-54.

On Friday, October 9 from 8-9 p.m. ET, "Law & Order" (1.5/5 in 18-49, 7.2 million viewers overall) captured NBC's highest non-sports 18-49 rating in the time period since January 30 and biggest overall audience in the slot since January 9. Week-to-week, "Law & Order" was up 25 percent in 18-49 rating (1.5 vs. 1.2) and 6 percent in total viewers (7.2 million vs. 6.8 million). "Law & Order" ranked #2 in the slot among the major networks in adults 18-49, adults 25-54, total viewers and other key measures. It is worth noting that in the season's first week, "Law & Order" added 33 percent to its 18-49 rating when going from its "live plus same day" to its "live plus seven day" results.

Friday from 9-10:01 p.m. ET, "Dateline NBC" (1.5/5 in 18-49, 7.1 million viewers overall) ranked #2 in the time period in adults 18-49, adults 25-54 and total viewers.

Friday from 10:01-11 p.m. ET, "The Jay Leno Show" averaged a 1.4/4 in adults 18-49, a 1.7/5 in adults 25-54 and 5.3 million viewers overall. Friday's time-period competition included CBS's "Numb3rs" and ABC's "20/20." In the time slot, "The Jay Leno Show" finished within 0.2 of a rating point of the lead among the major networks in adults 18-49, tied for #1 in adults 18-34 and men 18-49 and was #1 outright in men 18-34.

NBC ranked #2 among the major networks Friday night in adults 18-49, adults 25-54, adults 18-34 and total viewers.

On Saturday, October 10 from 8-9:25 p.m. ET, the network carried NBC Sports' overrun coverage of Presidents Cup Golf, which averaged in primetime a 0.6/2 in 18-49, 4.1 million viewers overall and a 2.7/5 in household rating/share.

A rebroadcast of "Trauma" was joined in progress, and from 9:25-10:00 p.m. ET and delivered a 0.5/2 in 18-49 and 2.6 million viewers overall.

Saturday at 10 p.m. ET, an encore telecast of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (1.3/4 in 18-49, 4.9 million viewers overall) ranked #2 in the time period among the major networks in total viewers and all key adult-female demos. "SVU" built on its lead-in by 160 percent in 18-49 rating and by 85 percent or more than 2.2 million persons in total viewers.

On Sunday, October 11, the "NBC Sunday Night Football" telecast of the Indianapolis Colts at the Tennessee Titans propelled NBC to a commanding win Sunday night in adults 18-49, adults 18-34, adults 25-54, total viewers and other key measures. For its full duration the Colts-Titans game averaged a 6.2/16 in adults 18-49, 16.0 million viewers overall and a 9.7/16 household rating/share for its full duration from 8:32-11:21 p.m. ET.

Sunday's Colts-Titans game was up 19 percent in 18-49 rating and 23 percent or more than 2.9 million persons in total viewers versus the "Sunday Night Football" game that aired on the same night last year (a 5.2/13 in 18-49 and 13.1 million viewers overall for the Patriots-Chargers on October 12, 2008).

For the night (from 7:30-11 p.m. ET), NBC averaged a 5.4/14 in adults 18-49 and 14.0 million viewers overall. NBC's margin of victory over the #2 network in adults 18-49 was 42 percent (5.4/14 for NBC from 7:30-11 p.m. vs. a 3.8/10 for CBS from 7-11 p.m.) and in total viewers it was 7 percent, or 3.6 million persons in total viewers (14.0 million vs. 13.1 million for CBS).

Also on Sunday, "Football Night in America 2" from 7:30-7:58 p.m. ET averaged a 2.1/6 in 18-49, 5.6 million viewers overall and a 3.5/6 household rating/share. "Football Night in America 3" from 7:58-8:22 p.m. delivered a 3.7/11 in 18-49, 9.8 million viewers overall and a 6.0/10 in households. From 8:22-8:32 p.m., "NBC Sunday Night Football Pre Kickoff" averaged a 6.2/16 in 18-49, 16.0 million viewers overall and a 9.7/16 in households. Note: "Football Night in America" from 7-7:30 p.m. ET was sustaining programming and does not figure in the nightly or weekly primetime averages.